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<p>In the first article of <i>British Politics</i>, Kerr and Kettell (2006) describe the ‘governance thesis’, not the ‘Westminster model’ (WM), as the dominant way to study or understand UK policymaking. However, the WM remains the dominant way for politicians and commentators to tell a simple story of how British politics is and should be made. In contrast, most people studying UK policymaking would struggle to tell you what exactly the governance thesis is or should be, or how to act accordingly. In that context, my contribution is to improve the clarity of the governance thesis. I narrate this dominant academic alternative to the WM to make it accessible to more observers and support the search for clarity among its supporters and critics. To illustrate this governance story, I focus on one aspect that may seem puzzling to the casual observer: governance stories explain why the WM story is inaccurate and misleading, yet the WM endures in political life, which means that the WM must remain central to our governance story.</p>

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Governance and the Westminster model: what exactly is the dominant story of UK policymaking?

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  • 发表日期：

    2025年4月16日

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  • Paul Cairney

摘要

In the first article of British Politics, Kerr and Kettell (2006) describe the ‘governance thesis’, not the ‘Westminster model’ (WM), as the dominant way to study or understand UK policymaking. However, the WM remains the dominant way for politicians and commentators to tell a simple story of how British politics is and should be made. In contrast, most people studying UK policymaking would struggle to tell you what exactly the governance thesis is or should be, or how to act accordingly. In that context, my contribution is to improve the clarity of the governance thesis. I narrate this dominant academic alternative to the WM to make it accessible to more observers and support the search for clarity among its supporters and critics. To illustrate this governance story, I focus on one aspect that may seem puzzling to the casual observer: governance stories explain why the WM story is inaccurate and misleading, yet the WM endures in political life, which means that the WM must remain central to our governance story.